Asteroid Blues

Muenz lent his back up against the wall of the watch tower and took a bite out of the ration bar, he let the bitter taste of the protein and vitamin mix swirl around his mouth on the way down. He threw a few crumbs at Huey the big old vet kept his combi rifle levelled at the street ahead of them.
“Did you here we ain’t getting out?” Muenz said arching his head to look at the Reaktion Zond they’d brought with them damn thing just bleeped and red lights flickered from it’s optical receptors provided the same useless information their own eyes were giving them the street was empty.
“What you talking about?”
“Sek, that damn Tunguska wiz kid he’s still in command. The backup from home, it ain’t coming.” Muenz paused for a second he saw something in the distance movement.
“Shit!” Huey smacked Muenz on the shoulder causing him to spin back around “Why the hell did you stay then?” Muenz gave the old man a toothy grin.
“Someone’s got to break all the bad news to you.” Then he saw it movement two streets over didn’t move like any of theirs it was fast solid not the way you learnt to move in the narrow streets of the ships.
“Hold up .. what the hells that?” He patted Huey on the back and shoved his finger in the direction of the street where he’d seen the movement. Huey lowered his eyes to his scope and scanned the mouth of the street.
“Nothing – wait.” Huey’s eyes widened with dread as he saw a small metal cylinder roll out the mouth of the street and green smoke began to billow out of both ends quickly his scope was rendered useless as all he could see was the impenetrable green cloud.
“We’re being god damn eclipsed.” Muenz said grabbing his combi rifle and lowering it against the rooftop. Huey quickly smashed the com and opened up a channel to the rest of the teams
“This is Bravo Team , we’ve got a contact two streets over – recommend we move a scout in.”

Artur watched as the holographic feed from the Transductor Zond illuminated his HUD , he could see the contacts moving down the street , elegant metal forms marched in inhuman synchronicity down the street.
“Shit –“ He muttered under his breath, he wasn’t supposed to be here get the Corregidor to deal with these damn metal ass holes let him go back home.
A flash of blinding light erupted from the HUD as the Transductor let off it’s pulse a arrow of silver light shot out along the street and struck one of the metal forms in the head , it recoiled throwing a eclipse grenade on the floor as it staggered behind cover, a few combi rifle shots flew down the street but Artur knew that hey did nothing.
“This is Sword 1908 , all teams to battle stations, looks like the we’ve been found by the Steel Phalanx hounds.” He gripped his fist tightly “We may have been relegated to guard duty doesn’t mean we can’t give them hell!”
Doesn’t mean you useless idiots can’t pull something out of your hat and keep me alive. He knew it was a bad dishonourable thought, but good thoughts were not for men at war.

Lorenzo threw himself to the ground as the beam of amber light flew out from the alleyway and burrowed itself into the armoured plates of the Taskmaster which exploded in a column of brilliant silver flame.
“Shit!” He looked up something large was moving towards him out of the darkness, he grabbed his chain rifle and fired upwards the spear of silver light clipped the side of the dark figure who did not relent but marched forward.
“Shit!” He rolled as a massive boot smashed into the ground where his head had been he came up and sunk his blade deeper into the wound he’d made with his chain rifle pushing the blade in deeper to bring himself up and stare at his opponent.
He looked into the clear blue eyes of an android, the long blonde flowing hair did nothing to make the creature seem more human to Lorenzo.
The android pushed Lorenzo aside like he was nothing, Lorenzo saw the creature going for the hilt of his sword the Jaguar knew he needed to landed a blow before that sword was drawn he threw his knife the blade spun in the air and hit the creature in the sternum a mortal wound on any man was just an inconvenience to the metal abomination. He felt the rage well up within him, he withdrew the tiny metal shiv he’d used in training from his gauntlet and he felt his anger take over as he broke into a sprint and launched himself at the metal giant.
“Come on you god damn freak!” He screamed as jumped into the air the metal giant drew his sword but Lorenzo was already upon him pressing his weight against the robots he sunk his teeth deep into the creatures ear and forcing the tiny slither of metal into the underside of the android shoulder joint and straight up in between the blades.
He stabbed frantically at the shoulder and tore at the creatures ear with his teeth, he tasted an awful chemical sweetness combined with the coppery odour of his own blood but the rage got rid of it all until he was just the Jaguar the hunter bringing down the prey. He stabbed, he bit he clawed until the prey stopped moving and the two of them collapsed.
He rolled onto his knees his head pounded , he clutched his hand to his mouth felt a pile of tiny pebbles he pulled his hand away and looked at a lumpy pile of crimson and azure goo. The lumps were his teeth, he put his other hand to his mouth and felt around, he didn’t have a damn tooth left in the front of his jaw. He threw his head back and started to laugh, it grew louder and turned into the cry of a victorious Jaguar.

Cisco could do nothing and watch as plumes of green cloud blocked out his visor followed by the screams of his comrades as they were butchered. He gripped hold of his HMG tight and levelled the barrel at the green smoke. The smoke was already clearing the artificial air was seeing to that he clicked his finger lightly against the trigger, one, two , three. He saw the outline of one of the Myrmidons back turned facing the combat and opened fire. The bullets tore through the androids armour, Cisco smiled as the body slumped to the ground.
He saw another one of the Myrmidons turning towards him “For those that have died” he murmured and he emptied the clip into the creature.

Artur poked his head up and took a breath they’d won. The attackers that had come out of nowhere were repelled he watched HMG shots rain into the court yard gunning down the last few of the attackers , an explosion in the west quadrant followed by a victorious cheer and frantic messages on the com channel about the work of an anti-personal mines. The death toll was still being tallied but it didn’t matter for he’d survived.
He saw a Jaguar stumble down the street on the opposite side of the courtyard, one of the Bakunin Moderators ran over two him the two talked and the com channel light up once more.
“He’s killed Achilles! God dam Achilles!” Artur let out a small cackle and smilled. The idiots did pull something out.